Apparatus for cooling air.



PATENTED SEPT. 15. 19'03.

W. G. BLOSS. APPARATUS POR COOLING AIR.

APPLIOATION HLBD JUNE s. 190s s SHEETS-SHEET L UQ Q .Bj//w'g'demWIKI/fas@ MJ- Um N No. 738.762.' PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903. W. G. BLoss.

APPARATUS FOR COOLING AIR.

APELIOATION -EILED JUNE s, 190s. No MODEL. A a SHEETS-SHEET z.

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PATBNTED SEPT. 15, 1903.

W.l O, BLOss. APPARATUS POR OOOLING AIR.

` APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 3. 1903.

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atented September 15, 1903:.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. BLOSS, OF PONTIAC, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR `COOLING AIR.

SPECIFICATIONA forming part of Letters ratentivo. 738,762, datedseptember 15, 1903.

Application iiled June 3J 1903. Serial No. 159,923. (No model.)

In my application for patent, Serial No.`

140, 944C, iiled January 28,1903, I have shown an I apparatus in whichan air-chamber is elevated onstandards and inclosed by a housing of suchdimensions as to afford a large space around the air-chamber for theformation of ice, said housing being so constructed as to zo permit thefreeaccess of cold air around the air-chamber and when desired toinclose the chamber with non-conducting material, so as to insulate theice from the action of heat when the temperature of the outside airrises..

Water is conveyedto the freezing-house by means of a pipe provided withsprinklers arranged above the air-chamber, which cause the water to bedelivered around'and upon the chamber in the form of spray or fog, which3e gradually freezes, the air-chamber ultimately being completelysurrounded by a solid mass of ice, which cools the air in the chamberandV maintains it at a low temperature as long as p the ice isprevented; from melting, which may` l befor avery long time, owing. toits great size and to the housing by which it is surrounded. Suitablemeansare provided for conveying air to and withdrawing it from thechamber and distributing it where needed.

46 I have foundthaticemay belbetter formed t around the air f chamberatA a temperature slightly below the freezing-point when some meansisprovided for receiving the sprayed water and holding it in afinely-divided condition in a space around the chamber to which thecoldA air hasfree access. For this purpose I surroundthe air-chamberwith frames of reticulated material, such as coarse wiregauze orpoultry-netting, and cause the water 5b to be sprayed upon these frames.At first ice forms on the air-chamber and on the wires ginning to form.Fig. 3, with a mass of ice formed on the iirst frames around theair-chamber and showing lmaterial. of large dimensions supported bystandards composing the frames, then water is sprayed upon theice-covered airchamber and icecovered wires, and then more ice `isformed, until finally the frames are fully covered with a solid mass ofice. If desired, additional frames may be placed in position around the`mass of ice first formed and more ice may be formed on these frames.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is adiagram showing a vertical central section through my im vprovedapparatus for cooling air connected with a house provided with a pipesystem for paratus on the line 3 3 of Fig. l, with the windows closedand packed and the ice just be- Fig. 4L is a view similar to alsoadditional frames around which .more ice is subsequently formed. Fig. 5is a detail view, in end elevation, showing the manner in which verticalframes are arranged at the ends of the air-chamber Fig. Gris a detailview, on an enlargedscale, showing the manner in which the framesu areconstructed. Fig. 7 is a view of the air-cooling apparatus similar tothat shown in Fig.` l, but with the 4air-ehanziber completely surroundedbya mass o'fice formed ontwo sets of frames.

f The airchamber A may bemade of `any suitable shape and size and of anysuitable It is preferably a metallic cylinder B and provided with aninlet-pipe C and an air-discharge pipe D. The( air f chamber should belocated in some suitable place where it may be exposed to the lowestnatural temperature obtainable, and it is inclosed by a housing whichwhen closed up will protect tbe-being interposed between boards or thethe building.

like, h. Large windows E are provided that may beopened by raising thesashes, as shown in Fig. l. When the windows are closed, pads F, offelt, sawdust, or straw inclosed in cloth, may be placed in thewindow-openings and held in place by shutters G, in the manner indicatedin Fig. '7.

In the roof above the air-chamber A is arranged a water-pipe H, havingbranches provided with roses or sprinklers h. The pipe H is inclosed inthe non-conductingmaterial of the roof and connects with the supply-pipeI, also inclosed in the non-conducting material of the housing andentering the ground at In this way I prevent the water in the pipe fromfreezing when it is not running. Of course when the water is runningthere is no tendency for the pipes to freeze. Any suitable means may beprovided for regulating the iiow of water through the pipes I and H,such as a valve or cock on the outside of The sprayers or sprinklers arepreferably arranged to deliver water in the manner indicated in Fig. l.

It will be understood, of course, that the windows are so arranged as topermit air to freely enter the inclosure, so that the temperature of theair inside the housing Will be practically the same as that on theoutside. It will also be understood that an attendant may be at hand toregulate the supply of water while the freezing operation isprogressing. If the water is fed too fast, itmay be turned off until theice has sufficiently formed around the air-chamber to allow of theaddition of more water to form more ice. At any rate, the supply ofwater maybe properly regulated so that finallya large solid mass of icemay be formed around the airchamber. When this is done, the windowsshould be closed, the pads placed in position, and the shutters closedagainst the pads, as indicated in Fig. 7.

The airinlet pipe C is provided outside the building with valve c, andthe air-outlet pipe D is provided outside the building with a valve d.The` pipe D may be carried underground to such a depth that no-coveringmay be required to keep down the temperature of the pipes; but if theair-discharge pipe is-ar'- ranged close to the surface a cover of somenon-conducting material d may be used. The pipe D connects with a pumpP, which may be a rotary pump of ordinary construc- -tion operated bypower applied to a pulley p,

or the pump may be worked by hand.

Q indicates the pipe leading from the pump and connecting with pipes ina building through which cold air is discharged into the rooms orcompartments. The pipes R may be arranged in any suitable way in thebuilding,the discharge-openings r preferably being arranged at the topof the rooms or compartments, so that the cold air may be allowed tofall gradually into the compartments or rooms, and thus reduce thetemperature without producing a draft. The warm air may be reduced intemperature in this way or may be displaced, the warm air passing outthrough the windows or through the cracks around the windows.

So far as already described the apparatus is similar to that shown in myapplication above mentioned. I have found that such apparatus may beimproved-by employing frames around the air-chamber, which receive thesprayed water and hold it in the space surroundin g the air-chamberwhile it is being frozen. Where the water is received directly upon theair-chamber, the surface eX- posed to the cooling eifects of theatmosphere is somewhat limited; but by providing open frames around theair-chamber such surface is very materially increased.

In carrying out my present invention I preferably surround theair-chamber With a series of frames T, made of reticulated material,such as wire-cloth, and preferably of that kind of Wire-cloth known aspoultrynetting. Each frame is preferably construct-k ed from a longstrip of such netting-say two and one-half feet wide-bent into zigzagform and strung on a rod U. The opposite ends of the rods are supportedby arms V, attached to the ends of the air-chamber. When the netting isbent in the manner indicated and strung on the rods, it is held inshape7 being prevented from either folding or collapsing. As indicated,the rods are arranged in notches or sockets o, formed in the arms V,from which they may be readily removed whenever desired. At the ends ofthe airchalnbers similar strips of netting T are arranged; but in thiscase they are disposed vertically, the rods U being formed at theirupper ends with eyes u, detachably connected with rods XV, dependingfrom the top of the housing and provided with hooks w, engaging the eyesu. In Fig. l I have shown the airchamber surrounded by a single set offrames. When the temperature is below the freezingpoint or suiiicientlylow and the windows of the housing are open, air maybe admitted to thehousing and the water turned on. The airchamber and the frames will becovered with a thin layer of water, which will immediately freeze, andthen as more water is received on the ice-covered air-chamber and framesan additional layer of ice will be formed, until finally the air-chamberis completely surrounded with ice, in the manner indicated in Fig. 4. Ifdesired, the size of the mass of ice surrounding the air-'chamber may beincreased by placing more frames upon the supports or arms V, in themanner indicated in Fig. 4. Ice will be formed upon the mass of iceindicated in Fig. 4 and also on and around the outside frames shown inFig. 4, until finally the air-chamber will be surrounded by a large massof ice covering both sets of frames, in the manner indicated in Fig. 7.

It is obvious that many modifications may be made in the manner ofcarrying out my in- ICO IIO

vention While` I prefer to employ poultry-v netting to form the frames,othermaterial may be employed.

The cold air may, according to myinvention, be conveyed and distributedin various ways.

` ble to surround an air-chamber with a large mass of ice during zero orfreezing weather in the winter and to preserve this ice around `theair-chamber until and during the summer months and to be able to drawcold air from the airchamber whenever required. Of

course when the air is pumped out of the airchamber a vacuum will beproduced; but I have provided a pipe C, by means of which the airchambermay be filled with enough air to iill the chamber and to be thereafterreduced in temperature;

chamber, but fill such chamber from time to time, allowing the air toremain in the chamber long enough to have its temperature sufficientlyreduced to beconveyed a suitable distance and to be distributed withcooling effect wherever needed. Of course the airchamber and the otherparts of the apparatus maybe made of very large capacity, suicient tosupply all demands.

I claimas my inventionl. An apparatus for cooling air by meansoficeformed by the natural temperature in zero orfreezing weather,comprising an airchamber, open-work or reticulated frames surroundingsaid chamber, 'a housing of non# conducting material provided withopenings to allow cold air to freely enter and surround the air-chamber4and its frames, means for spraying waterwithin the housing upon theair-chamber and frames while the latter are exposed to the outsidetemperature, means for closing the openings in the housing with lnon-conducting material after a mass of ice is Ihave found it to beentirely practica- I preferably do not draw the air continuously throughthe air-` formed around the air-chamber, and pipes for admitting air toand conveying it from the air-chamber.

2. The combination of an ain-chamber, standards supporting it at anelevation, frames of open-work or reticulated material surrounding theairchamber,` a housing of non-conducting material surrounding theairchamber and frames, water-pipes arranged in the non-conductingmaterial of the housing, sprinklers branching from the waterpipes forspraying water upon the air-cham ber and frames, and pipes for conveyingair to and carrying it from the air-chamber.

3. An apparatus for cooling air by means of ice formed by the naturaltemperature in zero or freezing weather, comprising an air- Vchamber,frames of open-work or i'eticulated ing the air-chamber each comprisinga length of Wire netting bent into zigzag form and strung on a rod.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WILLIAM G; BLOSS.

WVitnesses:

ADAM H. LONG, W. CRAWFORD.

ling for thechamber, and fram es for surround-

